1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a technical field regarding a slide mechanism and an electronic apparatus. Particularly, one embodiment of the invention relates to a technical field wherein at least one of directions in which a lid member is moved is defined as a direction in which arcuate movement is carried out to achieve improvement in convenience in use.
2. Description of the Related Art
Some of various electronic apparatus such as personal digital assistants and portable telephone terminals have an operation section for being operated to execute a predetermined function and a display section on which an operation state for the operation section or an image is displayed.
One of such electronic apparatus as described above is configured such that it includes a base member having a first operation section thereon and, an intermediate member having a second operation section thereon, and a lid member having a display section thereon and the intermediate member is disposed between the lid member and the base member such that, when the lid member is moved in a first direction with respect to the intermediate member, the second operation section is opened to allow an operation for the second operation section, but when the lid member and the intermediate member are moved integrally in a second direction with respect to the base member, the first operation section is opened to allow an operation for the first operation section (refer to, for example, Patent Document 1).
Accordingly, a user can carry out on operation separately for the first operation section or the second operation section in accordance with an application, and the electronic apparatus has an advantage that the width of the application is expanded.
Patent Document 1: Specification of U.S. Patent Published Application No. 2005/0245251
However, in the conventional electronic apparatus described above, since the second direction in which the lid member and the intermediate member move with respect to the base member and the first direction in which the lid member moves with respect to the intermediate member are perpendicular directions to each other in a two-dimensional plane, the orientation of the display section and the orientation of the first operation section in a state wherein the first operation section is open are same as each other and the orientation of the display section and the orientation of the second operation section in another state wherein the second operation section is open are same as each other.
Accordingly, to a user, the operation direction (depression direction) for the operation keys of the operation sections and the direction in which the display section is visually observed are same as each other. Thus, the user cannot use the electronic apparatus in a state wherein the display section is inclined with respect to the operation section, for example, as in the case of a personal computer. Further, the user cannot use the electronic apparatus in a state wherein the display section and the operation sections are inclined at a fixed angle as in the case of a telephone terminal. Therefore, the electronic apparatus has a problem that it is not good in convenience in use.
Therefore, it is a subject of a slide mechanism and an electronic apparatus of one embodiment of the invention to overcome the problem described above and achieve improvement in convenience in use.